New Feature Integrates Common Works Registration Into Music Data Exchange
WASHINGTON, D.C. — March 17, 2021 — SoundExchange announced today a major upgrade in its technologies to create greater efficiencies in the data exchange between record labels and music publishers. This upgrade is part of a multi-year effort to continue leveraging the use of data to streamline systems and increase transparency across the music industry.
Called the Common Works Registration (CWR) Pre-Fill, the new feature improves the compatibility of data that flows through SoundExchange’s Music Data Exchange (MDX) application, a centralized system that facilitates the exchange of sound recording and publishing data before recordings are released in the market. The feature integrates CWR data into the MDX workflow, simplifying the data submission process for publishers.
Publishers will now be able to make claims in MDX using pre-populated data from their CWR files. For previously submitted CWR files, publishers will be able to respond to requests for data in less than a minute, and publishers submitting new CWR files will be able to respond within 24 hours of submission.
“The integration of CWR submissions represents an important step in the evolution of MDX,” said Anjula Singh, SoundExchange Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. “By empowering labels and publishers to share data with greater ease and efficiency, we are laying the groundwork for improved data and transparency, not only within MDX but also within the larger music industry.”
To access the new feature, users must have a registered account with MDX and a CWR feed set up within the system. Non-MDX users can request an MDX account for free, while existing users who are not yet submitting CWRs through MDX can contact [email protected] to set up their feed. Users who are already submitting CWRs through MDX can start taking advantage of the feature right away.
This new development will be followed by additional CWR optimization efforts across the SoundExchange companies (which include Canadian Musical Reproduction Rights Agency and SXWorks) as the organization continues to enhance data processes within its portfolio of technology solutions.
###
About MDX
Music Data Exchange (MDX) is a software application developed by SoundExchange in consultation with the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) Best Practices Working Group. MDX functions as a central “portal,” which facilitates the exchange of sound recording and publishing data between record labels and music publishers. It is the only application that can establish an authoritative recording-composition link prior to that recording being released to the market. By providing an application programming interface (API) and using industry-standard DDEX “MWN” xml messages, MDX automates the exchange of data, operating at the scale and efficiency required by the largest record labels and publishers. For more information, visit musicdataexchange.com.
About SoundExchange
SoundExchange provides royalty solutions for sound recordings and music publishing. The organization collects and distributes digital performance royalties on behalf of more than 245,000 recording artists’ and master rights owners’ accounts. Its technology solutions help turn massive amounts of data into accurate revenue for creators and include: Music Data Exchange (MDX), International Standard Recording Codes (ISRC) Search, and the Notice of Intention to Use (NOI) LOOKUP. To date, SoundExchange has paid out more than $7 billion in royalties. For more information, visit soundexchange.com.